Jaz Chats Away on @GAMER Podcast

By James O'Neill - 29 Sep, 2010

@GAMER

It has only been ten days since The Mean Machines Archive reported that 'Jazza's New Magazine', @GAMER, is now available in US Best Buy stores. Since then, on 27th September, @JazRignall has tweeted the news that the @GAMER magazine team have made a 40 minute long podcast, with 'Jazza chat' included, so you have the opportunity to hear the Mean Machines editor's views on current gaming, exactly 18 years after the last copy of Mean Machines hit the UK's shelves (yep, September 1992 was the final ever issue of Mean Machines).

Introduce Yourself

The @GAMER podcast team is made up of Andy Salisbury (Associate Editor/podcast host), Julian Rignall (Editorial Director), Will O'Neal (Editor in Chief) and Chuck Osborn (Group Editor in Chief), and the 'Episode #1' podcast begins with an introduction to the four team members. Each one discusses their past experiences in gaming magazines, with Jazza's voice being the easiest to spot, because he is the only one with an English accent. It is interesting to hear the different routes that each staff member took through various console and PC mags, on their way to contributing towards @GAMER.

They explain about @GAMER's intentions to establish a US multi-format mag that presents up-front snappy reviews, which are accessible for gamers. The team also describe their relationship with Best Buy as a distribution channel, addressing their objectivity and clarifying how they have "free rein" to assess, recommend, or criticise a game based upon their opinion of its value.

Bobby Kotick

The first, and most prominent topic of discussion is brought up 10 mins 15 secs into the podcast, as they consider the news that Bobby Kotick (CEO Activision Blizzard) recently stated that Bungie is the last remaining credible, high quality independent developer.

@GAMER Team's Current Picks

After the team get their teeth into a Kotick based natter, the topic changes to a chat about their top picks and the variety of games that each of the @GAMER crew have been playing recently.

This section is of interest to find out what genres float Jazza's 'modern gaming' boat. There is one definite surprise title mentioned, but with Jaz also being Editorial Director of World of Warcraft: The Magazine (see @Jaz_WoWMagazine on Twitter), there are no prizes for guessing WoW. You can find the start of this exchange 23 mins 20 secs into the podcast. However, if you are such a fan of the Mean Machines days that you can't wait to hear Jaz's picks, you'll find his specific choices further into the discussion (27:25).

Signing Out of Episode #1

The team are obviously having fun working together to produce @GAMER, there is plenty of banter throughout the podcast, and it is great to hear Jaz express his views on the industry, just like the old Q+A/Mean Yob days. Therefore, until news develops on how gamers in the UK can get hold of a copy of the mag, the podcast is the best way of keeping in touch with Jazza's return to the wonderful world of multi-format gaming magazines.

You can listen to the first episode of 'The @GAMER Podcast' at their podbean website, which also includes a link to subscribe to it through iTunes. The good news is that a new podcast will be released every other week, so in approximately two weeks time Episode #2 should also be available for your listening pleasure.